Form support for floating forms

ABSTRACT

A form support for a floating form is comprised of a cap and a vertical shoulder wherein the vertical shoulder is adapted to attach to and support a floating form placed at or above the surface of a concrete pour and the cap is adapted to be removably attached to a post which is disposed below the surface of a concrete pour. The form support is designed to be lifted from the concrete when the floating form is removed and to minimize any void left in the concrete.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a form support for holding a floating form. More specifically, the invention relates to form support that allows a user to make a seamless concrete pour.

Description of the Prior Art

Prior to this instant invention, it has been difficult to make a seamless concrete pour when the overall width of the pour exceeds the ability to effectively span the pour with a single screed board. In order to accommodate wide pours, it is desirable to break the pour's span into narrow strips. This is accomplished by placing form supports inside the perimeter of the pour. The problem with prior approaches to this problem has been the fact that is difficult to remove the form support from the interior of the pour once the concrete has been laid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of the prior arts by providing a form support which extends above and below the level of a concrete pour which can be attached to a floating board above the level of the pour and which can also rest securely on a post positioned below the level of the pour. The present invention is designed to be lifted from the concrete when the floating form is removed and to minimize any void left in the concrete. Accordingly, after the form support is removed, it is a simple task to place concrete in the void and to smooth the surface.

The present invention is substantially a form support comprising a cap adapted to be placed on a vertical rod or post and a vertical shoulder adapted to be attached to a floating form support. The cap protrudes under the surface of the concrete pour and the vertical shoulder protrudes above the concrete pour.

Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become clear from its description in the specification that follows and from the novel features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Therefore, this invention comprises the features hereinafter illustrated in the drawings, fully described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, and particularly pointed out in the claims. However, such drawings and description, as well as this Summary of the Invention, disclose just a few of the various ways in which the invention may be practiced and are not limiting on the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a three dimensional illustration of form support fashioned from a copper tube which has been flatted on one end comprising a cap and a shoulder.

FIG. 2 is a two dimensional illustration of the form support of FIG. 1 which has been attached to a vertical surface of a floating form and placed on top of a post.

FIG. 3 is a three dimensional illustration of the form support of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a three dimensional illustration of a concrete pour including an outer perimeter with associated concrete form, a plethora of form supports consistent with the instant invention attached to a floating form, and a screed board disposed over a concrete form and a floating form.

FIG. 5 is a three dimensional illustration of a second embodiment of the invention which has been formed from a cylindrical block of material.

FIG. 6 is a three dimensional illustration of the form support of FIG. 5 which has been tapered to reduce the size of the void created by removing the form support after the pour.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art by providing a means of facilitating a seamless concrete pour over a broad area. The primary advantage of the instant invention is that the shape of the form support and its means of securing it to a floating form and removably securing it to a post allows the form support to minimize any void left in the surface of the concrete when a floating form has been removed.

Referring to the figures, wherein like parts are designated with like reference numerals and symbols, FIG. 1 is a three dimensional illustration of form support 10 fashioned from a copper tube, which has been flatted on one end, comprising a cap 12 and a shoulder 14. Here, the diameter of the copper tube is slightly larger than the diameter of a post which will be used to support the form support by placing the cap 12 over the uppermost end of the post. The shoulder 14 provides a vertical surface which can be placed against a vertical surface of a floating form. In this embodiment of the invention, the cap 12 is intended to be placed below the intended surface of a concrete pour and the floating form is intended to be attached to the shoulder 14 at or above the intended surface of the concrete pour.

FIG. 2 is a two dimensional illustration of the form support 10 of FIG. 1 which has been attached to a vertical surface of a floating form 16 and placed on top of a post 18. The post 18 is placed perpendicular to the ground or underlying surface and possesses an upper end which terminates below the intended surface of the concrete pour and the floating form 16 is placed vertically at or above the intended surface of the concrete pour to maximize support for a screed board while minimizing the weight and/or cost of the floating form. In this embodiment of the instant invention, the floating form 16 is attached to the shoulder 14 using screws. Other means for attaching the floating form 16 to the shoulder 14 may include bolts, clips, and the like. Accordingly, the scope of the instant invention is not limited by the means of attaching the floating form 16 to the shoulder.

In this embodiment of the invention, the cap 12 is placed on the upper end of the post 18 to provide support to the floating form 16 through the shoulder 14. It is important that the cap 12 provides sufficient support to the floating form 16 to support, in turn, a screed board while still being able to be removed from the post 18 when the floating form 16 is lifted from the concrete pour.

FIG. 3 is a three dimensional illustration of the form support 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 comprising the cap 12 disposed on the upper end of the post 18 and the shoulder 14 attached to a vertical surface of the floating form 16 using screws.

FIG. 4 is a three dimensional illustration of a concrete pour including an outer perimeter with associated concrete forms 20, a plethora of form supports 10 consistent with the instant invention placed on top of posts 18 and attached to a floating form 16, and a screed board 22 disposed over the concrete form 20 and a floating form 16. By using the form supports 10 to support the floating form 16 which, in turn, supports the screed board, a seamless concrete pour can be made in long, narrow strips. One the first area has been poured, the floating form 16 can be lifted to remove the form supports 10 from the posts 18. Alternatively, the floating form 16 can be detached from the form supports 10, placed on the opposite side of the form supports 10 and reattached to allow a concrete pour in the second area. Once the second area has been poured, the floating form 16 can be lifted to remove the form supports 10 from the posts 18 leaving small voids in the surface of the concrete pour which can easily be filled and leveled.

FIG. 5 is a three dimensional illustration of a second embodiment of the invention which has been formed from a cylindrical block of material such as plastic, hard rubber, metal, and the like. Here, a hole 102 has been drilled into one end of the form support 100 creating a cap 104. On the other end of the form support 100, material has been removed to form a vertical shoulder 106 and a ledge 108. A vertical surface of a floating form 16 may be attached to the vertical shoulder 106 and a horizontal surface of the floating form 16 may rest on the ledge 108.

FIG. 6 is a three dimensional illustration of a third embodiment of the invention which has been formed from a tapered cylindrical block of material such as plastic, hard rubber, metal, and the like to reduce the size of the void created by removing the form support 200 after the pour. Here, one end of the form support 200 has been tapered and a hole 202 has been drilled to create a cap 204. On the other end of the form support 200, material has been removed to form a vertical shoulder 206 and a ledge 208. A vertical surface of a floating form 16 may be attached to the vertical shoulder 206 and a horizontal surface of the floating form 16 may rest on the ledge 208. 

I claim:
 1. A form support for a floating form comprising a cap connected to a shoulder, wherein the cap comprises an inner diameter and is adapted to extend into an intended surface of an intended concrete pour and to be removably placed over an upper end of a rod comprising an outer diameter slightly less than the cap's inner diameter, said rod residing within the intended surface of the intended concrete pour, and further wherein the shoulder is adapted to extend outside the intended surface of the intended concrete pour and to be removably attached to the floating form and further wherein the shoulder is adapted to support the floating form at or beyond the intended surface of the intended concrete pour.
 2. The form support of claim 1, wherein the shoulder is removably attached to the floating form with screws.
 3. The form support of claim 1, wherein the rod is substantially vertical.
 4. The form support of claim 1, wherein the floating form is substantially vertical.
 5. The form support of claim 1, wherein the form support is formed from a hollow cylinder flattened on one end.
 6. The form support of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a hole in a flat end of a cylinder.
 7. The form support of claim 1, wherein the shoulder comprises a vertical shoulder and a ledge formed by removing a semi-cylindrical portion of a cylinder on a flat end of a cylinder.
 8. The form support of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a tapered cylindrical block, said tapered cylindrical block have a minimal outer diameter disposes on an end of the form support. 